RAMBLES BY RIVERS. 251 



— what see you there? It is an Ibis, picking its steps carefully, and 

 feeding apparently on the smaller Crustacea which fall in its way; and 

 see too those noble Pelicans, with half-crammed pouches. 



In this shallow water are myriads of the Long-turrcted Cerithium, the 

 Trochus, and others. That bird with the long red bill, with a beautiful 

 silvery plumage, is the Sylochelidon, or Swallow-tailed Tern, whose habits 

 we have alluded to previously in our pages; and that large fellow, the 

 Black Swan, (Ci/gnus atratus,) certainly no "rara avis" is he in this 

 country, inhabiting all the western lagoons of Victoria in flocks, varying 

 from two to six, or probably more, — they generally move from one place 

 to another by night, frequently uttering their, to us, discordant notes as 

 they fly. Bishop Stanley, in his "History of British Birds," page 393, 

 remarks, that although this bird cannot dive, it contrives to immerse itself 

 so deep in the water, as to render its body nearly invisible, and thus avoid 

 detection. 



On the right is the boat-house of the "Faugh-a-ballagh" Club, with 

 whose members we have spent many a jovial day on this stream; and 

 on the banks almost immediately above it, the cemetery of Warrnambool, 

 which is about a mile inland. Much praise is due to the trustees for the 

 careful manner in which this place is laid out and kept. No ostentation 

 whatever is there, but a quiet rural simplicity pervading everything connected 

 with it, — wild-flowers springing up spontaneously, and decking the graves of 

 those lying there. 



Next we come to the fisherman's hut and punt; — let us rest awhile on 

 our oars, and see the result of his haul. Here are Bream, Mullet, Salmon 

 Trout, and a stray Herring, (which fish is generally taken with a fly 

 higher up the stream, in plenty surely to augur well for the success of 

 the recently-established Fishing Company.) We stoop, and find specimens 

 of Paludina^ or Marsh Shell: and in flower the pretty Myoporum. We 

 have a specimen of Trigla, or Gurnard, captured here a few years since, 

 which, if not identical with the Flying Gurnard, which, darting from the 

 sea, is able to sustain itself for some time in the air, as in the Exoceti, or 

 Flying Fishes, is at any rate nearly allied to it. This pretty fish was 

 about a foot in length, head covered by a bony plate, terminating just 

 before the first dorsal fin, in a spine on each side, teeth much crowded, 

 upper jaw defended on each side by short projecting spines. The eyes are 

 als.o protected on each side by two sharp spines, arising out of the bony 

 plate before mentioned. The first dorsal is pinkish, about three-quarters 

 of an inch behind the termination of the bony plate, and nine- rayed. 

 Second dorsal immediately behind, silvery, with two pink lines across, ex- 

 tending to within half an inch of the tail, fifteen- rayed. Both these are 

 placed in a furrow, with a row of spines on each side; the pectorals are 



